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| Thousands queued for the museum's first day
(Agencies) |
New York's Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) has opened its doors to
the public once again after a $425m revamp.
The dramatic new building, designed by Yoshio Taniguchi, is the new
home for works of art by Picasso, Matisse, Andy Warhol, Van Gogh and
Jackson Pollock.
Thousands of people queued up outside the gallery to take advantage of
free entry on its first day.
Visitors will have to contribute towards the cost of the
refurbishment, with entry prices of up to $20.
However, Saturday's opening day was free, as are
Friday evenings thanks to corporate donations
.
The first people to enter were New Jersey couple Tad Davis and Susan
Vosburgh, who were celebrating their 10th wedding anniversary. They were
given lifetime membership of the institution.
Others near the end of the line said they expected the wait to be worth
it.
"I would rather be at the front, but I wanted to come today because I
am poor and can't afford $20 to get in," said Suzanne Velovic, 61.
Museum director Glenn D Lowry defended the charges, which the New York
Times called "appalling and cynical".
"We have endeavoured to balance our financial needs with obligations to
run a balanced budget," he said.
Increased insurance fees and other costs also contributed to the
increased charges.
The gallery spent two years in a temporary space in nearby Queens while
the rebuilding work was carried out.
Taniguchi's new design doubles the amount of space available to the
museum. But it keeps elements of the old site, including its sculpture
garden.
On Monday, he told a news conference his work on MoMA could not be
judged until the museum was up and running in its new home.
"Museums are like a Japanese teacup," he added.
"It doesn't speak by itself so much but when you pour the green tea,
the contrast becomes so great.
"Like a plate - if you have a very simple plate there's nothing there
but when you start putting all this Japanese food on, it changes."
(Agencies) | 
Updated: 2004-11-22 08:53